Letter of Hope
by Yoneko Kimishima
Summary: Yukina writes a letter for her beloved twin brother.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho**

**Letter of Hope**

_To my dearest brother, _

_Hello. This is your twin sister, Yukina. Have you heard of me? Perhaps not, since you were forced to leave Mother and I after you were tossed from the Glacial Village as a newborn. I'm sorry if saying that brought up unpleasant memories. I heard all about what happened to you from Rui-san._

_Our people, the Ice Maidens, are a race of all female ice demons that reproduce asexually. Naturally, we give birth to a child every 100 years. The only way for a son to be born is if an Ice Maiden has relations with a male. We live secluded from men and other demon races, in a floating village in the sky, the Glacial Village, so it is very unlikely for a woman to leave and find a man. But our mother did._

_Her name was Hina. From what I've been told, she was very beautiful. Our mother went down from the village and had an affair with a man, that's what Rui-san says. Once an Ice Maiden gives birth, she sheds a single tear. Tears of an Ice Maiden crystalize into rare jewels called Hirui stones, usually of an almost off-yellow shade. But the tear an Ice Maiden sheds once her child is born crystalizes into an almost turquoise hue. This is what normally happens. But when our mother gave birth, she had not one daughter, but a daughter and son–you and me, Brother. When she gave birth to twins, she shed two tears._

_One of the stones I usually wear around my neck as a necklace, but right now it is with Hiei-san in Demon World. The other stone was given to you before you were tossed from here. I wondered for many days and nights why you had to leave us and Rui-san explained it to me. She said that when boys were born into our village in the past, they would possess evil hearts and kill Ice Maidens, nothing but bloodlust filling their souls. It was out of fear, Brother, that they rid you from our homeland. _

_Mother protested against the idea. She even said she'd even leave the village, taking you and me with her. As soon as you were born, you were encased with a fiery demonic energy that burned so intense you couldn't be held, so the Elder of the village wrapped you in a curse-confining cloth. The Elder said you were a Forbidden Child and that no one should have to suffer your unquenchable wrath that supposedly resided within you. So she told Rui-san to toss you over. Then our mother pleaded desperately for her baby son back, whom she never even got to hold in her arms. She was held back by two other Ice Maidens as Rui-san held you. Before tossing you, she had taken from her kimono the Hirui stone Mother had shed for you and tucked it in your wrappings. She knew you'd come back for revenge, knowing full well you deserved it, and silently begged you when you returned to take her life first._

_Rui-san told me you would come for your revenge many times. She said you would kill all of the Ice Maidens in your fury, slaughtering even the small girls. But she knew it was rightfully yours. She told me about how she silently prayed you'd return and slay her first, since that was all she could offer to make it up to Mother for tossing you. Rui-san and Mother were close friends so it pained her much to just toss you for dead. Mother was so devastated after you had been tossed, she committed suicide. Rui-san took me in since I was also a newborn and needed a parent. And now she's told me all these stories, about how you are my brother, the Forbidden Child._

_But I don't care. I don't care that you were born opposite of our people or how you are supposed to be filled with hatred against us. I just want to look upon your face, Brother. I have no family, with the exception of you. I want you to know that no matter what horrible things were thought of you, that I still love you, Brother. Close friends of mine are helping me look for you. This letter itself was delivered to you by Botan-chan, the Grim Reaper and ferry woman of the River Styx. I told her if she finds my brother to give him this letter. Everyone is supportive and wants us to be reunited. However, there has been some doubt._

_Hiei-san claims that you died many years ago. He says that there is no chance of me seeing you again. I told him I was very sure you were alive and that you would take your revenge on those spiteful Ice Maidens, especially that heartless Elder. I . . . I have never thought I could hate someone, until now. I . . . I hate my own people. Just so they can survive, Ice Maidens freeze their hearts over and if that's what it takes . . . then that village should be destroyed, that's what I think. I told Hiei-san about this. He told me to stop acting so helpless. He told me that if I really wanted the village destroyed I should do it myself and not wait for, in his words, a phantom twin that for all I know is dead. He's right, Brother. He really is. I'm sure you'd say the same thing._

_Now that you are reading this I feel my heart exploding. I'm in Human World waiting for you, Brother. Just pick up on my demon energy and you should be able to find me. I am living with Genkai-sama, a kind elderly woman who welcomed me to stay with her at her temple. I was going to go back home but then I lied for the first time in my life. I said to my friends I got 'permission' to search for you in Human World. It was all a lie just so I could stay here, with my friends, searching for the person I want to meet more than anything. So, as soon as you finish reading this, come find me, Brother! I don't care if years have passed before you're reading this. Find me and let me finally meet you. I haven't lost my faith–not even for a second that you are still alive and well. I have a good life with friends who are as close as family and fun-filled days with those same people, but I will not be satisfied until I am reunited with my twin. So come for me, Brother. I'll wait forever, if that's what it takes. Just know that I will accept you, no matter what. I don't care that the Elder said you were evil, nor that you were left for dead, nor do I care that Hiei-san is convinced that you're dead. I'll still be here waiting for you, Brother, no matter what. That's what a good sister should do._

_All the love in my heart, _

_Yukina_


End file.
